Philadelphia Declared ‘Best City To Celebrate Holiday Spirit’

PHILADELPHIA (CBS) — The Christmas tree in New York City’s Rockefeller Center, the New Years Eve extravaganza’s of London and Rome and the climate temperatures of Rio de Janeiro were no match for the holiday spirit celebrated in the city of Brotherly Love.

A recent survey conducted by U.S. Airways Magazine declared Philadelphia as the best city in the world to celebrate the holiday spirit, highlighting the Macy’s (formerly the John Wannamaker department store) Christmas light show, which has become an annual tradition drawing crowds from Black Friday thru the New Year since 1955.

In the survey, Philadelphia beat out 15 other major cities including New York, Rome, San Francisco and Rio.

“More than 36 million people visit Philadelphia every year and we want to extend a warm holiday greeting to them as they explore the city and enjoy the many sites and attractions that we have to offer,” said Meryl Levitz, President and CEO of Greater Philadelphia Tourism Marketing Corporation.

In addition to the Christmas Lights show, which features daily concert performances from the 106 year-old Wannamaker Organ that is registered as a National Historic Landmark, the Dickens Christmas Village on the third floor of the Macy’s building uses animated characters to tell the tale of the Charles Dickens classic “A Christmas Carol” and offers children an opportunity to sit on Santa’s lap.